Volume 36 • Number 3 • April / May 2015
Shoddy schooling in a leafy suburb One parent speaks out PAGE 8 About PPTA
PPTA member benefits ISSN 0111-6630 (Print) ISSN 1178-752X (Online)
PPTA News is the magazine of the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association. Approximately 18,000 copies are distributed free to secondary and area schools and other institu- tions. Not all the opinions expressed within PPTA News reflect Education Benevolent Society those of the PPTA. Life Cover - Income Protection - Editorial and advertising Enquiries should be addressed to: The editor, PPTA News, PO Disablement - Living Assurance. Box 2119, Wellington, New Zealand. EBS Health Care provides a comprehen- Ph: 04 384 9964 Fax: 382 8763 sive and growing range of low-cost medical Online: www.ppta.org.nz benefits. Editor: Anna Kirtlan Email: [email protected] Ph 0800 268 3763 www.ebs.org.nz Layout and design: Ben Weston Printed by Toolbox Imaging Deadlines PPTA members are eligible June edition: 5pm, 25 May for articles and ads. July edition: 5pm, 19 June for articles and ads. for a special banking package with Kiwibank. Kiwibank is 100% New PPTA field officer contacts Zealand owned and operated. It’s been thinking up ways to give Kiwis better value Contact your local field office for all queries about your collective banking since 2002. agreement entitlements or for assistance with employment The banking package currently includes relationship problems. 0.25% off Kiwibank’s advertised fixed Auckland home loan rates (excludes special offers or 4 Western Springs Road, Morningside one-offs), 0.50% off Kiwibank’s advertised P O Box 52 006, Auckland 1352 variable home loan rate (excludes revolving ph (09) 815 8610 fax (09) 815 8612 home loans and offset mortgage), free email: [email protected] EFTPOS on your everyday accounts and great Hamilton discounts on credit cards and insurance. Level 1, ANZ Building, 650 Te Rapa Rd, Te Rapa P O Box 20 294, Hamilton 3241 Visit www.ppta.org.nz/membership/ ph (07) 849 0168 fax (07) 849 1794 benefits to view the complete package, and email: [email protected] the terms and conditions that apply. If you’d Palmerston North like to join Kiwibank, call 0800 629 008. Guardian Trust House, cnr The Square and Main Street Kiwibank Limited’s Disclosure Statement P O Box 168, Palmerston North 4440 is available from your local Kiwibank or at ph (06) 358 4036 fax (06) 358 4055 email: [email protected] www.kiwibank.co.nz. Christchurch Level 1, 501 Papanui Road, Papanui, Christchurch 8053 ph (03) 366 6524 fax (03) 379 4011 email: [email protected] Dunedin Hertz rental car Queens Garden Court, 3 Crawford Street PPTA members can receive special P O Box 1561, Dunedin 9054 member rates - quote CDP no 1674602 ph (03) 477 1311 fax (03) 477 1804 when booking. Ph 0800 654 321 email: [email protected] www.hertz.co.nz Inside this issue... Establishing teachers' conference 4 A parent speaks out against Mt Hobson Middle School 8-9 PPTA protests against the TPPA 5 Voice health and safety 11 Holding back the iHunch 6 Teachers boycott Educanz nominations process 12
2 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 President’s viewpoint Authorisation bought
ne of the problems with Tomorrow’s The authorisation board may be Schools has been that boards of belatedly learning something that educa- Otrustees may be bristling with tionalists have long known — that closing expertise in a range of fields but they a school isn’t a sensible response to don’t usually have the inside knowledge performance difficulties as it just leaves needed to filter out unsuitable job parents and students stranded without applications. This is important because solving any of the problems. inexperienced, ineffectual or even corrupt Or, less charitably, there's no intention leaders can undermine the educational to ever close a charter school, no matter opportunities for a whole cohort of what it does, because there's too much students. political investment in the initiative. For The Investing in Educational Success example, there's no way the government (IES) initiative begins the process of will subject itself to a debate in the House by Angela Roberts securing students against this risk by about its total inability to retrieve the providing more active support for schools $600,000 of taxpayer money spent by a with appointment processes. private trust on buying a farm. schools and in England it was recently Meanwhile, in the alternative And it’s not just political investment revealed that the head of a charter universe occupied by charter schools, either; charter schools are proving to be school chain was being paid twice the the government is taking a completely a nice little earner for many. As well as prime minister’s salary. Of course, as in different approach. For charter schools, the money being paid to the incompetent New Zealand, this information is hard to the critical task of choosing the school authorisation board members, the come by because even though it is public leadership has been handed over to a management layer in charter schools money, it’s not public information. panel of well-heeled, political appointees is likely to be doing very nicely thank Fortunately, New Zealand is a small who meet from time to make decisions on you. American research shows charter close-knit society and the truth will out. behalf of schools they would never think schools spend less money on teaching (See pages 8-9 for a brave parent’s fight of sending their own offspring to. and more on management than public against secrecy in schools) The members of this group, the Kura Hourua Authorisation Board, have a truly enviable job. They’re paid generously by the taxpayer (around $500 a day) to parcel out vast amounts of public money for which they are completely unaccount- able. When they make poor decisions like giving money to a trust to buy a farm in Northland or handing money to individuals who shouldn’t be entrusted with either public money or other people’s children, there are no consequences for them. One of the charter schools they approved was so inadequately managed, the Ministry of Education had to step in and run it for most of last year. This was completely at odds with the Act Party’s sales pitch for charter schools which claimed that they would be “independent” of the ministry and might just explain why this intervention was kept secret for so long. The Act Party also claimed charter schools would be closed if they didn’t perform, promising this would make them “more accountable”. Instead, resources from the Ministry of Education are being diverted to prop up a school that was always going to struggle and wouldn't have been set up if the authorisation board had done due diligence.
3 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Establishing teachers Ideas generation
Empowering beginning teachers with knowledge and connections was a big part of the inaugural PPTA Network of Establishing Teachers (NETs) conference.
eveloped by PPTA’s Establishing “When I started teaching one of the in the classroom and the possibilities it Teachers Committee and held last most empowering things for me was to provided for collaboration opened partici- Dmonth at the Vaughn Centre on find that you could do your own profes- pants' eyes, Alex said. Auckland’s North Shore, the conference sional development, that it’s free and “We saw that not everybody was at targeted members in their first 10 years that PPTA does these things. To have 50 the same stage and that we were all of teaching and attracted 50 teachers. people all feeling that at the same time learning together.” Committee member Alex Le Long is huge,” she said. The conference allowed teachers to said putting the conference together was The conference included presenta- network and opened their minds to what one of the best organising experiences tions by PPTA president Angela Roberts, was available. “They learned that it’s okay of her life. New Zealand’s chief censor Dr Andrew to work cross curricular and not just focus One of the most powerful parts of Jack, classroom management expert on their own departments,” Alex said. the conference for her was being able to Margaret Ross, teacher wellbeing expert While the speakers and panels were see teachers catch on to the amount of Ian Vickers and coding expert Mike very helpful, Alex would like to see even professional learning and development Walmsley. more focus on networking in future (PLD) that was actually available to them. North Shore PPTA executive member conferences. Austen Pageau also spoke about the role “I would like to see more of an of unionism and the importance of being ‘un-conference’ format where people can When I started teaching one active in the union. share their ideas and drive it from within of the most empowering Lesson plan speed dating went down rather than it being outside driven.” well with conference-goers, despite initial Alex hoped a follow-up conference things for me was to find misgivings of some in the committee, could be held as soon as next year. Alex said. “Every year the amazing activists we that you could do your own “They thought it would be really naff have are passing away or leaving the but once I explained it to them they profession. We need to keep building our professional development." realised it was really cool. Sometimes you up-and-coming activists, showing them just have to go with me on these things.” how to get involved and play a more active “ A section focussing on technology role in the union,” she said. 4 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Solidarity Northland PPTA says no to TPPA
On the eve of the Northland by-election, with the political "big guns" in Kerikeri, protesters made their feelings about the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) loud and clear.
group of 35 protesters, including PPTA members organised by the Aassociation’s Northland executive member Graham Sharp, marched through Kerikeri to show their dismay at John Key’s proposed signing of the TPPA with the US and various other countries. Signing the TPPA could have disastrous consequences for education and broader sovereignty changes for New Zealand, making it difficult for future governments to change policies like charter schools or public private partner- ships (PPPs) if international companies had invested here, Graham said. The investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions of the TPPA grant investors the right to use dispute settlement PPTA executive member for Northland, Graham Sharp proceedings against a foreign government. “If the government abolished charter schools but a large company has money laws and regulations (for example, a to burst the property bubble, such as a in them you had better believe that the ban on fracking, smoking control laws, capital gains tax.” government will be sued under the ISDS,” or a cap on electricity prices) have Read more at http://www.itsourfu- Graham said. seriously undermined the value of their ture.org.nz/tppas-effects-on/ “Charter schools here to stay!? Now investments. The protestors at Kerikeri were that’s a scary thought!” “Medicines will become more fortunate to run into Winston Peters The TPPA was not primarily a trade expensive as big pharmaceutical MP for Northland as he was in the final deal, it was a deal that created a bill companies gain more influence over stages of the campaign and asked what of rights for corporates over and above PHARMAC, and restrictions are placed he thought of the TPPA. national laws, Graham said. on generic medicines. "Trust me I know what we're going to “From what we know so far, if the “Copyright laws will be toughened do here. We'll stop them passing this law,” negotiations are completed it will and more harshly enforced, restricting Peters replied. become much harder for the New internet freedom and access to "It's about foreign corporates suing Zealand government to look after our information, costing libraries, schools, you as a taxpayer. That's a challenge to environment, promote health, protect and businesses, and stifling innovation. this country's democracy which has been workers and consumers, and promote “Parallel importing will be banned, going for 167 years. the public interest.” meaning that New Zealanders, especially "It's about our sovereignty and right Most restrictions on foreign the poor, will have to pay far more for all to make our own laws. It's no longer a investment would be frozen and rolled sorts of ordinary products. trade deal. Worse still how can you pass back even further, Graham said. “Foreign banks, insurance companies a judgement on a contract you've never “Big overseas companies will be able and money traders will gain more powers seen,” Peters said. to sue the New Zealand government to challenge laws designed to prevent The TPPA was an issue all New for millions in damages in secretive another financial crisis; and overseas Zealanders needed to be aware of and offshore tribunals, claiming that new property dealers could contest moves stand united to oppose, Graham said.
5 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Health and Safety Holding back the iHunch
The use of laptops, tablets and smartphones by teachers and students alike is an entrenched part of modern schools. But it’s coming at a musculoskeletal price says Dunedin-based physiotherapist Steve August.
t any one time, one in six of us Steve says that after 30 years of suffer acute pain in the upper back, practise he’s becoming alarmed at the Aneck, or headache arising from the increasing number of teenagers he now fixed stoop more of us are assuming as sees with what are effectively dowagers’ we increase our use of the latest portable humps (kyphosis) – fixed flexion hunches digital wizardry.* in the upper back common among “I call it the ‘iHunch’,” says Steve, the elderly that they can’t straighten who attributes the condition to the fact themselves. that, unlike the tried-and-true desktop, “In someone with perfect posture the the newer lap and tablet varieties can’t earlobe sits vertically above the point of be adjusted ergonomically. the shoulder. You can now spot teens “There are well-established rules for where the back of the head sits further says. “What works best is a collection setting up desktop computers – screen forward than the front of the chest. Just of approaches: simple strengthening at eye level, keyboard at elbow level observe your students (or colleagues) and stretching exercises, easy-to-follow and so on,” he says. “But they all go out side on – it’s not subtle.” posture and home massage for the tight, the window with the new small devices Technically, hunching requires the scarred muscles.” because you can’t separate their screens muscles down the back of the neck to As part of the solution he has also from their keyboards. You have to bend work many times harder, just to hold the developed the “Backpod”, an award- more to use them, and the load on the head up. So they strain, then scar as part winning hi-tech fulcrum which uses neck goes up dramatically.” of the repair of that strain, then shorten upper body weight to gently stretch out While Steve welcomes the educational because of the scarring. The muscles a tightened, hunched spine. benefits of bringing new varieties of around the front of the neck work less “The young spines of nearly all school technology into the classroom, he and weaken, so the chin pokes out. This students won’t have tightened enough believes the iHunch could become a hunched, poked-chin posture compresses to need strong leverage such as the serious health issue if not addressed – every joint in the neck, and sooner or later Backpod provides – unlike most adult especially for those with growing spines. some will lock acutely, causing neck pain, spines. But all students should know how “This isn’t so much a problem in referred pain and headache. to look after themselves. It’s as basic active children who are exercising and To raise awareness of the issue, Steve as knowing about brushing your teeth.” playing physically. It’s the ones who are offers a website – www.bodystance.co.nz * BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders: spending out-of-school hours stooped – with helpful spinal self-care information Patience N Erick and Derek R Smith, over texting, playing computer games and videos. 17 Nov 2011: ‘A systematic review of and social networking who are effectively “The good news is you can treat musculoskeletal disorders among school growing spines like trees in a high wind.” and counter the iHunch effectively,” he teachers’.
6 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 President’s viewpoint
Material sought for Robin Duff biography
Waikato regional chair Jo Belgrave is working with oral historian Jane Ferrier and human rights activist Martin Oelderink on a biography of former PPTA president Robin Duff – she would love to have your contributions.
"I have been setting up preliminary oral history interviews with some of the key people in Robin’s life."
"I would appreciate any material or photographs PPTA members might be able to supply. All sources will be acknowledged. It will not be a dry narrative. Robin was a man of the people and believed knowledge should be accessible to all. He would appreciate the inclusion of all those things he held dearest: the joy of teaching and learning, nurturing and mentoring, and a bloody good feed at the end of it all!"
You can contact Jo at [email protected], 021 257 8586 or PO Box 259, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240.
7 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Charter schools Thecharade behind the facade
The charter school legislation is designed to maintain secrecy, but parents like Joanne and Wati Chaplow are working hard for the truth to come out.
erious parental concerns voiced to size, workload, governance and name When Poole was shortlisted to the minister of education and the calling by the school’s principal she was establish a charter school she wrote to Scharter school authorisation board horrified to discover that Poole had been the minister again. about Mt Hobson Middle School did not shortlisted to run one of the govern- “I feel there is a sense of urgency stop its principal, Alwyn Poole from having ment’s controversial charter schools. over this matter now … There is a group a charter school approved. Joanne approached the school, of concerned current and past parents When Joanne Chaplow withdrew her the Ministry of Education (MoE) and of Mt Hobson Middle School who would 12 year old son from Mt Hobson Middle the Education Review Office (ERO) be extremely disappointed if Mr Poole’s School (the private school run by Poole) with concerns about Poole’s behaviour application was successful, given that the boy was so stressed he had begun particularly when it came to calling the there are serious misgivings about the scratching his head until it was covered students names. way in which Mt Hobson Middle School in sores. After his withdrawal from “I have witnessed the name calling is being managed. the school over concerns about class myself of one of the Year 9 children. I “I realise and accept that there is not cannot recall his name but he appears the same level of accountability in private I witnessed Mr Poole to have some form of mild intellectual schools as compared to state schools … disability and I witnessed Mr Poole say to however, if Mr Poole was successful in say to him ‘be quiet over him ‘be quiet over there you retard, I never his application and, after establishing a asked you to speak’. The students who partnership school, went on to manage there you retard, I never have a particular condition or affliction it in a similar manner, I would have are ridiculed the most,” she said. serious concerns for the outcomes of the asked you to speak’." She heard back from ERO immediately children attending the school,” she told " but received no response from the MoE. the minister. 8 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Charter schools
Where is the accountability? This group (the charter school authorisation board) is paid generously by the taxpayer yet when they make poor decisions there are no “consequences.” for young people,” she told public purse and the other via private Poole. funds. The lack of transparency and Joanne believed accountability is a huge worry,” she said. Poole also did not have There is no board of trustees or other any tolerance for those body that assumes a governance role, students who found physical Joanne said. education challenging. “I am not aware of how or who “One example of this – conducts the performance reviews of Mr Joanne Chaplow the students are made Poole as the academic manager/principal. to run from the school One assumes he is required by the MoE to After repeated attempts at contacting on Remuera Road along the streets have performance reviews. If not, then is the MoE she was informed her emails around the perimeter of Mt Hobson. he not accountable to anyone?” had been passed on to the Kura Hourua Those students who were slower on this Since her son’s removal, Joanne Authorisation Board and were taken particular day were made to run twice has received calls from a number of into account when recommendations around Mt Hobson. When they arrived concerned parents who have subse- were being made to the minister of back, morning tea had just finished quently also removed their children from education. She was later informed Poole and they were not allowed to have their the school. In many cases, after the had been successful in his charter school morning tea, instead they were made to withdrawal they received phone calls from application (South Auckland Middle go straight to the next class,” she said. Poole criticising the new school the child School) but that he was granted a “scaled Some children at Mount Hobson was being sent to, she said. back” version of what he had applied for. Middle School were vulnerable, Joanne “It is only when you talk to other This news was a blow for Joanne. said. parents that you realise you share very “I felt like I had failed. I failed to get “There are children on the autistic similar experiences.” this into the public arena and I failed spectrum, children with intellectual to stop Mr Poole in his bid to establish disabilities and children with learning charter schools.” disabilities.” PPTA President Angela Roberts was Because of this and Poole’s pitch Introducing... appalled to discover the authorisation for a charter school, she felt the need to board had been made aware of these speak out. the board concerns but approved South Auckland Joanne also shared her concern Middle School anyway. about the school’s lack of governance. “Where is the accountability? This When Joanne’s son was there, the school group is paid generously by the taxpayer was owned by Mt Hobson Middle School The Kura Hourua Authori- yet when they make poor decisions there Limited — with the Villa Education Trust sation Board is chaired by are no consequences,” she said. (See as 100% shareholder. Companies Office former ACT Party president viewpoint page 3) records show that Mt Hobson Middle Catherine Isaac. Members “If this is what has been going on with School Limited has had a name change are former PricewaterhouseC- private funding, what will they do with and is now Middle School West Auckland oopers chair John Shewan, access to public money?” Limited (directors Alwyn and Karen Cognition Education chief Joanne had a number of serious Poole) and is still wholly owned by the executive Terence Bates, concerns including the “inordinate Villa Education Trust (the same trust that Whitireia Polytechnic dean Dr amount of work” involved in school runs the South Auckland Middle School Margaret Southwick, kohanga projects, many of which required a charter school). reo founder Dame Iritana significant level of parental input. This “One would have thought that there Tawhiwhirangi, former Te work caused her son to become extremely should be separation in the ownership Runanga o Ngai Tahu CEO Tahu anxious. structure between Mt Hobson Middle Potiki and former Auckland “He has never had an issue with School as a private school and the Pooles’ Grammar School headmaster anxiety about school work up until late last charter schools, particularly because John Morris. year. Anxiety can have terrible outcomes the charter schools are funded from the
9 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Book review Dealing with the discrete material of racism
famously silent for most of the book. His Nanotech mate Toke, a Māori fella who knows how By Denis Wright to handle himself and combines physical MAKARO PRESS, 2015 presence with a keen scientific and Review by Martin Henry philosophical intellect, is a joy to know. There are also complex characters we only get glimpses of, like Eva the radical enis has written young adult feminist, who beguiles and seethes, fiction before. Violence 101 went yet has the courage to stand up to the Ddown well at Wainuiomata High racists when it really counts. Moira School as he has an ear for adolescent who's bossy and a bit annoying, but good speak and a commitment to fast moving hearted and up for the fight too. plots. Nanotech is no exception. Wright manages to get us to care The set-up is a club called the Science about his characters. There is an and Technology Ethics Committee or inevitable date, and I won’t reveal who, STEC for short, made up of year 12 and but it is sensitively handled, and within 13 students going on a jaunt to Auckland the ethical positioning of the book. The to listen to a Nobel Prize winning genetic biggest debate is the one about racism disease specialist. The club is run as an idea and the individuals who by Bernie, the teacher all students spout it. While most of the baddies secretly want. She's irreverent, beautiful, are exactly that, there is still enough prepared to break a few of the rules and humanity about the writing to consider totally committed to her subject — if not time and are kidnapped by the New the implications of seeing a racist as a to an institutional approach to learning. Aryan Brotherhood along with the Nobel human being too. She assembles a rag tag bunch of winning pathologist — who the sinister The book doesn’t pull its punches bossy, quiet, opinionated and clever brotherhood wants to teach them how on the odious nature of racism and students for a road trip to remember. to develop a disease that can wipe out accepts that kids and teachers have Bernie manages to con their way into all African Americans. Teaching in fact complex stories that are not always what the event in a way which, while not is a recurrent theme, with the students they appear to be. While it isn’t a book being completely ethical, was effective teaching each other, Bernie teaching that gives us answers, it takes us on a nonetheless. We go on to get a good look everyone and the students finally roller-coaster ride and provides a lot of at Bernie’s ethics as the plot unravels. teaching Bernie. thematic meat for students to get their To jump a few pages the group end The student characters are teeth into. up in the wrong place at the wrong interesting, with the protagonist Joe Suitable for years 9 to 11. Lessons in print Having just published a second novel for young adults, PPTA member Denis Wright talks about beating boredom and breaking the rules.
enis teaches English This was the genesis “It’s about showing rather than and Journalism at of ‘Violence 101’ a book telling, dealing with serious issues in a Wellington High and that would end up being light, fast, action-packed manner.” D taught in English classes is a year level dean. He Denis’ advice to teachers interested has taught since 1978 and throughout the country in writing is to be persistent. been a PPTA member all and win him the 2009 New “I broke all the rules of how to get the while. Zealand Post Best First published. I sent my work directly to the “PPTA is a vital Book award. main publishers. I did not have an agent,” union that needs all of His second book he said. our support. I think it’s Nanotech was published “Don’t be put off by the gap between one of the strongest and Denis Wright this year. It’s a ‘wrong sending something off and getting a reply most viable unions in the place, wrong time’ thriller and don’t be afraid of being a squeaky country,” he said. dealing with themes of racism, betrayal wheel. If you hang back you won’t get Denis’s first foray into young adult and molecular biology. published,” he said. fiction was in 2006 when an idea Denis said the trick to writing for a Denis is continuing to write with a few for a character “kept whispering in teenage audience, and particularly boys, books lined up already, including a sequel my ear.” was to know when they get bored. to Violence 101.
10 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Health and safety Offering vocal support
For many teachers developing a sore throat, hoarseness or a raspy voice may be more serious than just another symptom of a winter lurgy. The detrimental effects of straining ( our voices on a daily basis are ( ( again becoming an endemic health and safety issue. But why? And who can help?
Image by Njallis CC-BY-SA
recent study by speech science against outside environments, shouting treatment and then seek voice therapy.” researchers at the University over wind and rain, or working outside He says Speech NZ helps assist of Auckland’s Department of in the cold before transferring indoors teachers understanding of what their vocal A without acclimatising their voices.” range is and correct breathing techniques. Psychology, in which 1879 PPTA and NZEI members were interviewed, discovered Bill says female teachers aged “We show them how to properly that 1081 of respondents reported having between 51 and 60 are the most modulate their voices and control their suffered voice related health issues vulnerable for voice related issues, but pitch, volume and projection among at some time in their careers. Of that there is no major difference between other things.” number, 52% said they’d experienced male and female teachers in the severity mild to very mild problems, 36.5% said of their problems. Getting help they’d experienced mild problems and “Overall we believe that the secondary If you’d like advice about a voice 10.9% said they’d suffered severe or very teacher figure for voice problems is at related health issue or any other severe problems.* around 30%.” assistance, contact Speech NZ via www. Speech New Zealand, a charitable Bill suspects the upward trend of speechnz.co.nz or at its Wellington office trust that’s been specialising in the teachers experiencing voice problems on 04 498 9660 to find a local secretary provision of voice development, care may be due in part to voice care for the region in which you live. Speech and maintenance since 1964, says that components of teacher training being NZ have teachers based the length and in recent years it has noticed a steady dropped. breadth of the country all of whom have increase in the number of experienced “Previously, Auckland teachers a wealth of knowledge and experience in teachers requesting help and advice after college had a permanent position with voice and voice control. struggling at work with voice problems. one of our teachers who took students Bill says prices vary depending on The trust’s spokesperson, Bill through courses on voice production, things such as, what is being taught, the Carpenter, says symptoms frequently care and protection. With the demise duration of the course and the number include throat pain, hoarseness, losing of these classes we are now seeing of attendees. one’s voice altogether and trouble this issue again on the increase and “Prices however are not excessive swallowing or breathing — especially in becoming a health and safety issue.” and as a charitable trust we understand conjunction with ear pain, coughing or Bill advises that the first course of only too well the cost versus value choking when swallowing, and laryngitis. action for any teacher suffering voice argument,” he says. “We notice that teachers who have to issues is obviously medical. operate outside their normal vocal range “A general rule of thumb would be: *Leão SHS, Oates, J. M., Purdy, S. C., Scott, D., & Morton, R. P. (2015). Voice Problems in New Zealand tend to suffer greater issues," he says. first rest the voice then, if symptoms Teachers: A National Survey. Journal of Voice, Early “Especially those having to compete persist, follow this up by seeking medical Online.
11 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Teachers Council
Members snub exclusive club
PPTA members have given their strongest indication yet that they want nothing to do with the undemocratic Educanz nominations and appointments process.
n a recent membership-wide ballot, 94.9% of those who participated Ivoted in favour of a motion to not accept nomination or appointment to the Educanz council nor participate in the body’s consultation processes. “Effectively, the ballot result means anyone who puts their name forward for nomination or accepts an appointment won’t be in a position to claim to speak for secondary teachers,” PPTA president Angela Roberts said. “Members of Educanz must understand that they will serve the minister and the government of the day — not the teaching profession.” Last year PPTA’s annual conference voted to empower its executive to develop a range of responses to the Education Amendment Bill (no.2) which aims to replace the New Zealand Teachers Council with a government appointed body.
The Educanz model as it stands allows the minister to hand-pick an “exclusive club." These included giving PPTA’s executive the power to determine the extent to which the association would co-operate with the new body and putting proposals for actions against the new council to a teacher vote. “The Educanz model as it stands allows “The minister decides what is valued Since the new council ignores the the minister to hand-pick an exclusive in that ‘skill set’ and gets to decide who democratic voice of teachers, PPTA club. By stripping away the professional meets it. No messy elections and contest executive has proposed teachers stop voice of teachers and not allowing us to of ideas, just the ‘best people for the job’, paying for it and instead seek a clause elect our own representatives to our own Roberts said. in the collective agreement requiring the professional body, Educanz will struggle for “We cannot allow this gradual erosion government to fund the council as well as credibility,” she said. of democracy and public accountability,” running it, Roberts said. The minister’s response to critics she said. “We note that the Ministry of has been that Educanz elections were “Even corporate boards of publicly Education pays for the professional unnecessary because the ‘skill set’ listed companies are elected by share- fees of legal and psychological services of those on the new council would be holders — and if teachers aren’t ‘share- employees as part of their collective transparent and that she would appoint holders’ in the regulation and status of agreement. We are asking no less.” people who met it. the profession, I don’t know who is.”
12 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Notice
PPTA Members! Login to stay in the loop
Now bargaining for the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement is almost underway it’s time to make sure you have your log in sorted for the members’ only site of the PPTA website.
All that's needed is your Username, which is your MoE number and the default password for most members is the first two letters of your first name plus the first two letters of your surname plus 01 (zero 1) - so Ettie Rout's password is etro01. This will get you started - after that you can change CC-BY-SA Tastafur Image by it to any password you like.
If you have problems, email [email protected].
Workload survey and focus groups
A reminder that PPTA members are invited to complete an online survey about their workload at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/PPTA_ Teachers_Work_survey_2015 One survey can be completed per computer, so you are encouraged to use your personal device rather than one of the school's network of devices. Branch focus groups also sought PPTA is also looking for branches to volunteer as focus groups to investigate their work issues in more depth. Branch chairs can contact Rob Willetts [email protected] for a facilitators' kit to assist.
13 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 Advice
Out in the field Call back days: a couple of cases
Information and advice from PPTA’s intrepid field officers.
uties when schools are not open for instruction are commonly known Das call back days. A secondary teacher may be required to undertake up to 10 of these a year — up to five for professional development session about peer coaching and and up to another five for school admin- appraisal in the upcoming school istration, preparation and coordinating holidays. Barry didn’t want to because departmental activities and community he attended what he believed was a 2. At Magpie College staff were and whānau liaison. similar course during the previous school required to attend both a senior and The rules are set out in clause 5.4 holidays. He had planned to take a family junior parent teacher evening in week of the Secondary Teachers’ Collective holiday at the time of the course, and had six of term one. Agreement (STCA) and in clauses 4.7.2 already informed the principal that was Mary’s husband was a shift worker – 4.7.4 in the Area School Teachers’ his intention. who was rostered on nights at that time Collective Agreement (ASTCA). The principal said Barry was required so on each occasion Mary hired a baby When managing the requirements to attend because it was a full teaching sitter to mind her children. She paid the of call back days, the employer must staff activity, and Barry would be able to babysitter who signed to say that she endeavour to be reasonable in their provide valuable input because of the had received $XX in payment. Mary then expectations and take into account the course he attended previously. presented this document to the school for teacher’s own initiatives in undertaking After a discussion with the PPTA repayment, but office staff advised her such work. branch chair, the principal agreed Barry she was not eligible for reimbursement Teachers are entitled to be reimbursed had undertaken the earlier course of of such expenses. Mary spoke with the for any actual and reasonable costs his own volition, and given reasonable PPTA branch woman’s representative and involved, due to attendance at call back notice about his planned family holiday, together they discussed the issue with days. so didn’t need to attend the professional the principal. development in the coming holidays. Having shown the relevant clause, Case Studies It was also negotiated that Barry STCA 5.4.3/ASTCA 4.7.4 to the principal 1. All the teachers at Kiwi College would run a session about what he had it was agreed childcare was an “actual were told they would be required to attend learned, at a staff meeting at the end and reasonable cost” and Mary would a one-day professional development of term. be reimbursed.
EBS Standard Plan Sharing your medical costs from as little as $5.57* per fortnight
Apply Online Now
www.ebsstandardplan.co.nz
*Cost shown is for subscriber up to 45 years, for other pricing options check out the website www.ebs.org.nz
Everyday medical insurance for NZ teachers & education sector members who are members of the following unions;
14 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 President’s viewpoint
I know heaps about education, I’ve been to school! IN THE We’ve long suspected this was true of some education NEWS commentators. Let’s just hope New Zealand’s statistics aren’t quite so depressing. Taking the free market to extremes According to ACT’s Free Press newsletter leader David Seymour returned a gift box of Easter eggs in high dudgeon announcing that he could not be bought with chocolate. We note however that selling is a different story. The same newsletter regularly signs off with Seymour’s desire to profit from bodily fluids. “Freedom is not free” it reads “if it were legal ACT Leader David Seymour would sell blood to fundraise for ACT. All you need is a credit card”. It doesn't specify whose blood he would sell. A lesson in picking your audience When Willie Jackson’s son attempted to recruit people to promote his dad’s charter school he probably should have researched his audience. PPTA’s Komiti Pasifika was bemused by a request on its Facebook page for people to work for $18 an hour with some “peeps” informing people in Mangere about Jackson’s new Kura. “Recruiting some tamariki!” as the post says. Considering PPTA members' boycott of the schools and that many KP members would be adversely affected if one opened in their area we suspect his efforts were wasted. Chalkdust: a look into PPTA’s past
A series looking at education through the eyes of the PPTA Journal. This month we travel back to 1976.
The negotiations game Grim with good intentions This was one of the winners of the P.E.N Young Writers Incentive Awards published in the PPTA Journal. If I took everyone’s skin off them, And boiled it in a big saucepan, And allowed it to mix to ONE colour, Then give the skin back to everyone, I wonder what they would do, Would they change their minds about: Black, Red, Yellow, White, Brown? Daphne S. Leach, Hagley High School Canning the cane The debate was still raging over whether corporal punishment should be condoned in schools. An annual conference resolution investigating a ban and comments made by then president Mr G Warner that it was the equivalent to assaulting a child met with several angry letters to the editor. “And what viable alternatives have been established? By no means will everyone accept that a three day cooling off suspension is a viable alternative!” read one. It is certainly good to know It appears that in 1976 collective agreement negotiations were not going well. We there are plenty “viable alternatives” certainly hope the Negotiation Game goes more smoothly in 2015. nowadays.
15 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015 About PPTA
16 PPTA NEWS April / May 2015